Basic caregiver self-care: Creating your #ListOf3

Ever hear that gratitude changes attitude? Although it’s natural for many of us to reject adages as cliché, their truth still holds. They’re (forgive us) tried and true. It’s easy to get lost in the negatives of a situation, mainly because anger and resentment are ways to feel we’ve balanced the game. However, anger is a flash-fire– burning fast and furious but leaving only scorched earth in its wake.

Gratitude is our best defense against life’s emotional battlefield. If we can find one thing to be grateful for, in times of hardship or loss, we open ourselves us to recovery. When you’re furious or depressed, say aloud one thing you’re grateful for– it can be through tears or screams. Say another. Another. Watch as your voice gets stronger and your mood lightens. Gratitude isn’t a cure-all. It’s not a guaranteed solution. But it is basic caregiver self-care.

We’ve made our list for today. What’s yours?

You’re looking at a post from before we became The Caregiver Space…we used to be known as the Caregiver Survival Network. Our name changed, but our values and the issues we face as caregivers are the same.

About Adrienne Gruberg

Adrienne Gruberg is a former family caregiver and founder of The Caregiver Space. After six years of caring for her late husband and mother-in-law she conceived of an online support space all caregivers could come to. Adrienne holds a BFA from Boston University. She founded AYA Creative in 1982, an award winning graphic design, marketing and advertising company. Her design training has helped shape the website and her personal and professional experience continues to inform and influence the caregiver centric support experience she has created at The Caregiver Space.